Eric Braeden News

Fans of The Young and the Restless aren't the only ones displeased about the firing of Don Diamont.

Longtime co-star Eric Braeden in on record as being dismayed by the move, as well.

"I was very sad about that, to be quite frank with you. He did some of his best work in the last months, where he played the ‘shifty’ guy and the bad guy and you don’t know quite what he is up to. I think he played that extremely well," Braeden said, adding:

"I always think that’s a mistake to let people go that have been part of the fabric as long as he has been. Furthermore, he was related to people on the show, and personally, I think those things are a mistake. If you want to want to save money, then cut down on hiring new actors."

Eric Braeden's new movie, The Man Who Came Back, was released this week on DVD (shop Amazon).

The film is set in the 1870s, as it follow the second worst labor strike in American history.

As TV Guide reports, of course, The Young and the Restless star did much more than lend his considerable acting skills to the flick.

"I executive produced it, having shepherded it from the beginnings of the script to the very end, into post-production," he said. "And I had the time of my life doing it."

Assisting Braeden in his goal to capture this dark period in U.S. history was a talented cast.

"I was very heartened by the cooperation of my fellow actors, starting with George Kennedy," said Braeden. "I never met a nicer gentleman. He never complained, despite working under very difficult circumstances."

Eric Braeden is a busy man.

But The Young and the Restless star found time to chat about a variety of topics with TV Guide Canada. Here are excerpts from the interview:

On Amelia Heinle as Victoria:
“I agree with you that I often sometimes wonder how Heather would play certain aspects of this storyline in which Victor banished his family, but Amelia has done a fine job. She’s a different Victoria, but I enjoy her interpretation. Heather and I talk all the time. What a smart, smart girl! I miss her, for sure.”

Eric Braeden is a mainstay on The Young and the Restless.

On the U.S. Presidential election:
“Hillary Clinton was by far the most capable of them all and the best candidate of them all. However, her downfall was ironically due to her husband, Bill Clinton. In order to right his wrongs, he wanted to give her the presidency, which was a romantic and beautiful gesture, but alas, that’s what led to her downfall and failure. You see, as a woman, she couldn’t have a man pull the strings. That worked against her. It’s a tragedy. Shakespearean even. Of course, I will be voting for Barack Obama."

Who knew Eric Braeden could bring the funny?

According to TV Guide, the veteran soap actor is set to guest star on How I Met Your Mother.

The Young and the Restless star will portray Robin's father, Robin Charles Scherbatsky, Sr.

Reportedly, here's how the stint will go down:

As Ted and the crew hide in a restaurant, they each take turns recounting the the one person they would most hate to run into. Robin's pick is her father, seeing as she has Daddy issues — in that hers always wanted her to be a boy.

In a stunning revelation, Eric Braeden recently admitted that he almost quit The Young and the Restless last year.

According to Soap Central, Braeden was not only disgusted with the direction of his character's storyline, but he was also unhappy with the situations of the other veteran characters. The actor sat down with then-executive producer Lynn Marie Latham to discuss the problems, but was frustrated by what he viewed as a lack of reciprocal concern.

This 2007 meeting came just after Latham had hired a brand new team of writers, some of whom had no previous experience in the soap genre.

During this regime's reign, Braeden said he felt that Victor Newman had become a weak and diminished character, forced to sit on the sidelines while an array of "new, younger characters" took over.

"I will always rail against this chasing of the mythical, young demographic, (that) leads to the dumbing down of television," Braeden said. "It's the bane of a lot of writers, directors and actors in this town."

Fortunately, The Young and the Restless recently elevated Maria Arena Bell, daughter-in-law of series co-creators Lee Phillip Bell and her late husband William, to the head writer position. Braeden couldn't be happier with the change.

"This is the happiest I've been on the show in a long time," he said. "The emphasis is again where it belongs, with the established characters on the show."

Last year, Eric Braeden took a break from The Young and the Restless to film a movie called The Man Who Came Back.

It's a story of murder, conspiracy and one man's revenge, written and directed by Glen Pitre. Braeden portrays Reese Paxton in the movie.

The premiere took place on February 8, 2008 at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California. Here's a look at Braeden and costar Joshua Morrow from the event:

Eric Braeden poses with his son.

Joshua Morrow poses with his beautiful, pregnant wife.

Eric Braeden is the executive producer and star of the indie western The Man Who Came Back. With the filming of the movie complete, this stars hopes to have the it edited and rounded up by Christmas.

"I'm never someone to put the cart before the horse, but I’m beginning to have a very good feeling about it," said The Young and the Restless actor, who went on to praise his co-stars.

"The cast was just wonderful. George Kennedy, Billy Zane, James Patrick Stewart (ex-Justin, All My Children), Armand Asante, Peter Jason, Sean Young and Jennifer O'Dell (ex-Lana, General Hospital) — they are wonderful actors. But also wonderful to work with. There was a real camaraderie. They wanted to help out and I so appreciate what they did."

As he told Soap Opera Digest, Braeden has been locked in an editing room for six weeks now, ever since shooting wrapped.

"It's very tedious work, but it's also exciting," the actor said. "You see the movie in a microcosmic way and then you also have a bigger view of the overall picture. It assumes its own rhythm and you realize, 'That doesn’t fit there. It would go better here,' or you take it out completely. It's an interesting process."

Of course, once editing is complete, Braeden will have to market the film still. But his solid fan base from The Young and the Restless should come in handy for that.